Hispanic Americans By the Numbers

• 53 million: The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2012. Hispanic Americans make up 17% of the U.S.'s total population—the largest minority group in the country. Only Mexico has a larger Hispanic population than the U.S.

• 11.6 million: The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2012

• 65%: The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States that have a Mexican background.

• 47%: The percentage of New Mexico's Hispanic population as of 2012, the highest of any state.

• 2.3 million: The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2007, which generated $350.7 billion.

• 37.6 million: The number of U.S. residents, age 5 and older, who spoke Spanish at home in 2011.

• 22.5%: The percentage of elementary and high school students that were Hispanic in 2011.

• 3.7 million: The number of Hispanic Americans who had at least a bachelor's degree in 2011.

• 1.2 million: The number of Hispanic/Latino Americans who are veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

• 5.8 million: The number of Hispanic residents in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, California, metropolitan area, in 2011. It has the largest Hispanic population in the U.S.

• 16.1%: The number of Hispanic residents working education, health, and social services. Additionally, 11.7% work in retail trade, and 13.4% work in arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodations, and food services.